BAY CITY, MI — Cold weather and light pollution may present a challenge to those wishing to see the annual Quadrantid meteor shower in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, said Garry Beckstrom, Planetarium Manager at the Delta College Planetarium.

Beckstrom noted that the shower will be most active “after midnight" and will continue into the early morning hours.

“A lot of people will take their sleeping bags outside and lay back in a reclining lawn chair,” he said.

A meteor shower is caused by the debris trailing behind a meteor as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. The effect is similar to snowflakes hitting a car windshield, where the car is running into the flakes more than colliding with them, Beckstrom explained, adding that many of the particles are no bigger than the size of a person’s thumb nail.

“Ninety-nine percent of them burn up before they hit the ground,” he said. “Those that do are known as meteorites.”

Due to light pollution, the shower will not be visible from the Planetarium. For other meteor showers, the Planetarium has coordinated with Midland’s Chippewa Nature Center to offer viewing parties, Beckstrom noted, adding that the December viewing party saw approximately two dozen attendees stay for several hours despite chilly weather.

“The key is to be patient,” he added, noting the January 3 storm is expected to average about 60 meteors per hour, the majority of which will be visible for only a few seconds.

For optimal viewing, Beckstrom recommends being 10 to 15 miles outside of an urban area, such as the fields outside Auburn or Reese and picking a set direction to watch rather than rotating.